The Hidden Risks of Open-Source & AI-generated Code
In today’s rapidly-evolving development environments, while open source and AI-generated code have accelerated software innovation, they have also introduced hidden risks and vulnerabilities in your workflows, like:
1. License Contamination: AI assistants trained on public repositories may reproduce snippets from GPL, AGPL, or SSPL-licensed sources without context or licence awareness, imposing obligations on your proprietary code.
2. Copyright & IP Infringement: Some AI models may suggest fragments or segments from their training data. Without snippet-level scanning, these can enter your production unnoticed, leading to potential copyright infringement.
3. Security Blind Spots: Open-source code sometimes inherit known vulnerabilities (CVEs) or insecure patterns that can bypass SCA detection and they create unmonitored risk inside your codebase.
4. Lack of Traceability: Traditional dependency manifests can’t track snippets or offer proper visibility, making it impossible to answer questions like: “Where did this function originate?”, “Is it covered by an open-source licence?” and “Is it safe to ship?”
Why Snippet-Level Detection Matters
Traditionally, Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools focus on detecting full components or declared dependencies, relying on package manifests and metadata. This means they often miss the most common modern risks like
- Developers copying or adapting small fragments of open-source code
- AI-generated code that reproduces copyrighted open-source snippets without attribution
- Reused code hidden inside large, refactored, or renamed files
SCANOSS: A Developer-First SCA Platform
SCANOSS is a developer-first Software Composition Analysis (SCA) platform backed by the world’s largest open source database, complete with licence metadata and provenance data.
SCANOSS goes deeper than traditional tools, detecting undeclared, copied, reused, and AI-generated code snippets in real time. Its snippet-level detection capabilities allow developers to identify even partial code matches from public repositories, ensuring no hidden component goes unnoticed.
Some of SCANOSS’s standout features include:
- Fine-grained fingerprinting for detecting even modified or partial code matches
- Large open-source knowledge base tracking billions of code fragments and their licences
- AI-aware scanning flagging AI-generated snippets that match known open-source sources
- DevSecOps integrations for IDEs, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, and other environments
- Policy enforcement that automatically blocks or flags risky snippets during build or pull request stages
- Code Compare, a fast, intuitive way to manage open-source findings without leaving your development environment by launching side-by-side comparisons
How Merito Enhances Your SCANOSS Experience
Merito is a Value-Added Partner that specializes in delivering enterprise solutions in AppSec, Quality, and DevSecOps. With a deep understanding of implementing DevSecOps in complex environments,
Merito helps operationalize SCANOSS, ensuring it’s usable, actionable, and scalable by:
- Tailored Integration of SCANOSS into your toolchain, ensuring smooth adoption without slowing delivery
- Governance and Policy Design by defining clear policies for snippet detection thresholds, licence treatment, and AI code scanning governance
- Training & Enablement by upskilling developers, legal, and compliance teams to interpret scan results and remediate findings efficiently
- Audit-Readiness, helping you generate SBOMs with snippet-level insights, ensuring transparency for due diligence, M&A, or partner security reviews
Real-World Impact: Why It Matters For Your Enterprise
- Reduce Licence & IP Risk: Catch legal exposures before code ships
- Protect Against AI Code Reuse: Detect and control AI-generated code with unclear provenance
- Enable Continuous Compliance: Keep SBOMs and licence reports accurate and audit-ready
- Build Developer Trust: Provide fast, actionable feedback, not late-stage blockers
- Future-Proof Your DevSecOps: As AI coding and open-source reuse grow, snippet-level detection ensures you stay ahead of evolving compliance demands
Getting Started with SCANOSS + Merito
Alan Facey, CEO at SCANOSS says, “Merito understands what practical DevSecOps looks like inside a complex enterprise, they know how to take powerful tools like SCANOSS and make them work within the realities of different teams, stacks, and compliance environments.”
Merito makes it easy to adopt snippet-level detection as part of your AppSec strategy:
- Assessment: Evaluate your current open-source and AI-generated code exposure
- Pilot: Deploy SCANOSS with snippet detection in a key project or pipeline
- Training: Enable teams to use scan results for secure coding and policy enforcement
- Governance Rollout: Define approval workflows, licence exceptions, and integration points
- Continuous Improvement: Monitor detection trends and refine policies as your development practices evolve
With SCANOSS powered by Merito, you can confidently leverage open-source and AI tools, knowing every fragment of your codebase is accounted for, compliant, and secure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is snippet-level code detection, and how is it different from traditional SCA? Traditional Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools identify open-source components at the package or library level using manifest files. Snippet-level detection identifies copied, reused, or AI-generated fragments that often bypass manifest-based scanning, reducing hidden compliance and security risks.
- Why is snippet-level detection critical? The rise of AI-assisted development and copy-paste coding means that open-source code is often reused in fragments rather than full packages. Without snippet-level detection, organisations risk unknowingly introducing licence violations, security vulnerabilities, or IP infringements into production code.
- How does SCANOSS detect AI-generated code snippets? SCANOSS uses fine-grained fingerprinting and compares code against its massive open-source database. If AI-generated code matches known open-source snippets, it flags them for review, helping you avoid license contamination and IP issues.
- What risks does AI-generated code introduce? AI tools may generate code trained on GPL, AGPL, or other restrictive licenses without attribution. This can lead to license obligations, copyright infringement, and security vulnerabilities if not detected early.
- Can SCANOSS integrate with my existing CI/CD pipeline? Yes. SCANOSS offers integrations for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, and IDEs, enabling real-time detection during builds and pull requests without slowing development.
- How does Merito add value to SCANOSS? Merito ensures SCANOSS adoption is smooth and actionable by providing tailored integration, governance policy design, developer training, and audit-readiness support for SBOM generation.
- Will snippet-level detection slow down my development process? No. SCANOSS is designed for developer-first workflows, offering fast scans and features like Snippet Choices and Code Compare to streamline decision-making without introducing late-stage blockers.
- How does SCANOSS handle license compliance? SCANOSS maps detected snippets to their original licenses and provides metadata for informed decisions. Combined with Merito’s governance strategies, you can enforce policies and avoid legal exposure.
- What is an SBOM and why does snippet-level detail matter? An SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) lists all components in your software. Snippet-level detail ensures even partial or reused code is accounted for, making your SBOM accurate and audit-ready.
- Is SCANOSS suitable for enterprises using AI-assisted coding tools? Absolutely. SCANOSS is AI-aware and specifically designed to detect risks introduced by AI-generated code, making it essential for enterprises adopting modern coding practices.
- How do I get started with SCANOSS + Merito? Start with an assessment of your current exposure, run a pilot integration, train your teams, and roll out governance policies. Merito guides you through every step for a seamless experience.